Medical Education Committee Minutes (word) (pdf)

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

To:

Members of Medical Education Committee

From:

David W. Nierenberg

Subject:

Minutes - Meeting held Tues., Novemnber 15, 2005 - 4:00 to 5:45 pm, 758 E/W Borwell

Members Present:

Rich Comi, Barbara Conradt, Andy Daubenspeck, Bill Garrity, Brent Harris, Horace Henriques, John Hwa, Don Kollisch, Petra Lewis, Steve McAllister, Dave Nierenberg, Ben Northrup (Year 2), Roshini Pinto-Powell, and Eric Shirley = 14

Members Absent:

Jamie Bessich (Year 3), Brett Chevalier (Year 4), Narath Carlile (Year 1), Leslie Fall, Gene Nattie, Will Nugent (Year 4), Mike Price, Abigail Rao (Year 2), Brian Reid, Laura Reis (Year 1), and Joao Tiexeira (Year 3), = 11

Guests:

Dean Stephen Spielberg, Kalindi Trietley, Alison Rudkin, and Joe O'Donnell = 4

Scheduled Meetings:

Sept. 27 Oct. 18 Nov. 15 Dec. 13 Jan. 17 Feb. 21 Mar. 21 Apr. 18 May 16 June 13
758 W Borwell 758 W Borwell 758 W Borwell 758 W Borwell 758 W Borwell 758 W Borwell 758 W Borwell 758 W Borwell 758 W Borwell 758 W Borwell

I. Special Topic: Q/A Session with Dean Spielberg

Dr. Spielberg addressed the membership's concerns regarding Inter-entity Agreements, reporting that the Board of Overseers are currently examining several models for consideration. He further stated that a good collaboration requires a system that supports productivity and that teaching, learning, and patient care are not mutually exclusive concept.

II. Review of the Curriculum: Year 2 Medical Pharmacology Course

Barbara Conradt reviewed the information she was given by Dave Nierenberg at the October meeting regarding the Medical Pharmacology Course and found the following:

A. Based on the student evaluations from last year, Barbara reported the following strengths:

  • 1. Overall satisfaction has improved since the previous year;
  • 2. Overall effectiveness of attending lectures has improved since the previous year;
  • 3. Intellectual challenge offered by the course has improved since last year;
  • 4. Quality and effectiveness of lecture notes improved marginally from last year;
  • 5. Acquired knowledge improved from last year; and
  • 6. Usefulness of text improved marginally from last year.

B. MEC members noted that, based on their own observations:

  • 1. Course Director John Hwa attends most Pharmacology lectures and gives feedback to lecturers;
  • 2. The course provides up-to-date resources to students; and
  • 3. Roshini Pinto-Powell reports that when students begin her Inpatient Medicine clerkship, they are well-prepared in the area of Pharmacology.
  • C. Based on student evaluations from last year, Barbara reported a few minor areas that could be improved:

  • 1. Lecture notes could be more uniformly structured;
  • 2. Summary charts could be produced for all drugs;
  • 3. The text, Katzung, was only moderately helpful and many students used CP online;
  • 4. A few found the conference grade and how it was factored into the final grade was confusing.

D. In the evaluations, students made the following suggestions for improvement:

  • 1. Create summary charts for all drugs;
  • 2. Create more uniformly structured notes;
  • 3. In small groups, have all the students prepare answers rather than having a few students present cases;
  • 4. Post practice quizzes or practice exam questions on Blackboard.
  • E. According to attending student members and course director John Hwa, some of the weak areas have already been addressed in this years' class, including a better integration of lectures. Other areas currently being addressed are:

  • 1. Obtaining a clear set of objectives from all lecturers;
  • 2. Creating a comprehensive list of drugs;
  • 3. Integrating lectures;
  • 4. Putting more exam questions on Blackboard; and
  • 5. Searching for a better textbook.

III. Review of Curriculum: Year 2 SBM/Hematology Course

MEC member Ben Northrup reviewed the information he was given by Dave Nierenberg at the October meeting regarding the SBM/Hematology course and found the following:

A. Based on the student evaluations from last year and the course director's own assessment of the course, Ben reported the following strengths:

  • 1. Intellectual challenge offered by the course has improved since last year;
  • 2. Students were highly pleased with the Planalyzer and the learning environment created by Dr. O'Donnell;
  • 3. The students thought that dividing material into discreet sections was effective
  • 4. The course provided many different learning resources;
  • 5. The course emphasizes the human dimension of taking care of patients with the diseases discussed in the course;
  • 6. The students were particularly pleased with the Anemia section of the course, citing the charts to be excellent learning tools; and
  • 7. The small group sessions and the pharmacology lecture were considered highly effective.

B. Based on the same information, Ben reported a few minor areas that could be improved:

  • 1. Students disliked the Library Assignment ("busy work") and the textbook;
  • 2. Lectures were too rushed - too much contact, too few contact hours; and
  • 3. Students felt that the assignment that was a reflection of the final lecture was "busy work" and wasted time they would have rather spent studying for the final exam.

C. In the evaluations, students made the following suggestions for improvement:

  • 1. Create a better balance between the "big picture" and the details of the course;
  • 2. More pictures or photomicrographs in the lectures might help "solidify the material;" and
  • 3. The addition of Planalyzer cases for a better overview of the clinical approach to patients with WBC disorders and hematological malignancies.

D. According to Dr.O'Donnell's in-person comments and self-assessment report, the following changes have been made or are in progress:

  • 1. Fourteen hours of faculty seminars were eliminated several years ago with the use of the Planalyzer;
  • 2. The assignment that the students considered "busy work" has been revised, but retained as an important exercise for gathering material and communicating with patients;
  • 3. Case studies have been included in the bleeding/thrombosis and WBC lectures;
  • 4. Morphology is now being taught with a web-based approach - eliminating the need for the slide carousel; and
  • 5. A tour of the blood bank was included in the course.

E. Dr. O'Donnell also reported that although the Planalyzer is very effective and popular with the students, it was built on a system that's very old and requires too much memory for viewing cells. It is also very expensive to add topics.

In addition, although small groups are very effective and popular with students, the number of small groups can not be increased due to the unavailability of leaders.

IV. Key Metrics: Report on AAMC Graduate Survey

Dave Nierenberg introduced the topic of the AAMC Graduate Survey, stating that because incentives were offered for completion of the survey this year, responses were increased from 30% to 90%.

Discussion of the survey will continue at the December meeting.

V. Agenda for December 13 Meeting

A. Review: Rich Comi will review SBM/Psychiatry and Brent Harris will review SBM/Neurology;

B. Key Metric: Performance of Year 4 students on Step II CK (continued);

C. Key Metric: Report on AAMC Graduate Survey (continued);

D. Special Topic: ICT Literacy Project; and

E. Special Topic: Continuation of clerkship hours policy discussion.


Dartmouth Medical School
Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education
Hinman 7005
306D Remsen
Hanover, NH 03755-3847

Telephone 603-650-7679
Facsimile 603-650-6841

David.Nierenberg@Dartmouth.edu


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